Why Your Website Ranking Dropped in December
Google's New Algorithm Update Backfired
In December, many of website owners experienced a drop in keyword rankings, visibility, and event traffic — most likely due to Google’s new core update.
In the middle of the holiday season, Google felt that was a great time to release a new update that would target spammy websites harboring spammy content with spammy AI-generated stuff.
In a perfect world, I could see this being a huge benefit for websites doing white-hat SEO with useful content to share.
Nope! Unfortunately, this was not the outcome Google intended — or was it..?
Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable explains it with perfection – 18.9K subscribers
What Was the Google Update About?
Google periodically updates its search algorithms to improve the quality and relevance of search results. Google initiated its December 2024 core update, which finished on December 18.
Following the core update, Google launched a spam update on December 19, 2024. This update targeted websites employing manipulative tactics, reinforcing Google’s commitment to combating spam and ensuring the integrity of search results. Aiding websites with:
Is highly relevant to search queries.
Demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T).
Offers unique insights and value to users.
The goal was to elevate high-quality websites while reducing the visibility of low-quality or spammy content.
What Actually Happened?
While the intention behind the update was to reward websites utilizing Google’s Best Practices for SEO, the rollout inadvertently impacted many quality websites. Websites with strong content, reliable backlink profiles, and consistent performance saw drops in visibility and traffic despite meeting Google’s standards.
Whether this was the unintended outcome Google had planned, it has raised concerns across industries and sparked discussions within the digital marketing community — and not in a good way.
What The SEO Industry Is Saying
The Nature of the Declines
- The magnitude of Losses: Reports from website owners indicated that traffic drops were not minor fluctuations but significant losses, with some businesses experiencing up to 50% declines in organic search traffic.
- Impact on Revenue: For many businesses, especially those reliant on organic search for lead generation or sales, such a drastic drop in traffic directly impacted their revenue streams, leading to operational and financial strain.
Why the Declines Were Surprising
- Adherence to Guidelines: Many of the affected websites followed Google’s published content quality guidelines. These include producing original, valuable, and people-first content while avoiding manipulative SEO practices.
- No Apparent Spam Issues: Despite the December spam update targeting websites employing manipulative tactics, many affected sites had no history of spammy behavior or violations.
- Sudden Changes: The abrupt traffic drops caught many off guard, as there was no clear indication prior to the update that their rankings might be at risk.
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Possible Explanations for the Declines
Google may be laughing at this update or panicking due to the advert outcome.
- Algorithm Overcorrection: Google’s updates may have unintentionally penalized legitimate websites during the process of refining rankings and removing low-quality content.
- Ranking Shifts in Competitive Niches: In competitive industries, even minor changes in ranking algorithms can cause significant fluctuations as positions are reshuffled.
- Misclassification: Some websites may have been incorrectly flagged as spammy or low-quality due to the nuances of the updated algorithms.
Broader Implications
- Trust Erosion: These declines have led to skepticism among website owners regarding Google’s transparency and consistency in algorithm updates.
- Content Strategy Reevaluation: Many site owners are now questioning whether their current strategies align with Google’s evolving priorities, prompting a reevaluation of SEO tactics and content focus.
Google’s Response
Google has consistently emphasized the importance of creating helpful, people-first content and reviewing its guidance on core updates. However, it has also stated that recovering from a core update can take time, often requiring further updates to restore previously lost rankings.
This situation underscores the challenges of striking a balance between refining algorithms to enhance search quality and minimizing unintended consequences for legitimate website owners.
What To Do if Your Website Was Affected?
If your website was affected by Google’s update, there are steps you can take to regain visibility and adapt to the changes.
- Start by conducting a comprehensive audit of your site’s content, keywords, and technical SEO to ensure alignment with Google’s guidelines.
- Identify areas where you can improve, such as optimizing for user intent, enhancing content quality, and addressing technical issues.
- Develop a strategic action plan to implement these improvements and strengthen your website’s position in search rankings.
As a digital marketing company, we can help assess the damages if your website was affected due to penalties for spam. Contact us directly so we can do a full audit of your website health and position.